How to get your WordPress blog mobile ready

The most popular Web 2.0 websites are linked to a mobile friendly version. This is due to the fact that the mobile web is growing at quite a fast rate and more people are focusing on searching the internet via their mobile phone if they need information fast. It is a on-the-move business tool that is always available.

Mobile friendly pitfalls

The only problem with a mobile version of your website is that you have to get one. It usually involves the development/designing of a new scaled down version of your current website. When creating a mobile website there can be many pitfalls – technology wise.

If you have a WordPress blog, you are saved!!! There’s a couple of “mobile ready” WordPress plugins available that you can install without any tweaking on your side. Find below a list of the mobile ready plugins that I have found.

Mobile WordPress blog addons and themes

WordPress Mobile Edition is a fantastic plugin from Alex King’sCrowd Favorite that builds a mobile version of your blog and even adds a commenting interface. Their mobile demo on the Carrington theme is quite attractive indeed. Smaller screens do not display this as well as the iPhone does.

WordPressMobile.mobi (I just noticed the WordPress in the domain name) A WordPress mobile plugin by Andy Moore that provides a mobile version of your WordPress blog. The site does not provide any screenshots or details, just a forum. Looks like a very popular plugin with lots of installs.

WordPress Mobile Pack by James Pearce is a well liked set of plugins that creates a mobile environment for your WordPress blog including the admin panel. Screenshots are included on the extend pages.

Mobilize is another plugin that renders your WordPress blog via Mippin and even allows the user to insert their own ads. The plugin touts to be configuration free. Clean and tidy.

WordPress PDA and iPhone is a simple, straightforward plugin that renders a simple version of your blog on a PDA. Output screenshots on the plugin page.

MobilePress is a WordPress plugin that will render your WordPress blog on mobile handsets, with the ability to use customized themes. The plugin also allows specific themes for specific devices / mobile browsers, such as iPhone, Opera Mini, Windows CE Mobile and other generic handset browsers. Nice site, good screenshots, simple install.

WPTouch is a mobile plugin and theme combination for WordPress that adds a sleek WordPress theme for iPhone visitors.

There are various other plugins available on WordPress that extends the mobile functionality of your WordPress blog. Choose one that fits your needs and just let it run.

By making your blog mobile ready, you are opening up new ways for interesting people to read your message.